The present invention relates generally to a disc cartridge housing a disc-shaped recording medium, and more particularly to a disc cartridge that permits a disc-shaped recording medium to be mounted therein and removed therefrom by a disc holder for holding the recording medium.
With widespread use of disc-shaped recording media (hereinafter, simply referred to as xe2x80x9cdiscsxe2x80x9d) for recording various types of information, disc cartridges for housing such discs therein are now under development. A disc cartridge houses a disc in a rotatable state, and such a disc-housing cartridge is mounted in a recording/reproducing apparatus for use. Such disc cartridges are classified into two types: a type that allows for mounting/removal of a disc (disc-removable type) and a type that does not allow for mounting/removal of a disc.
A disc-removable type disc cartridge is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-86487. This conventional disc cartridge includes a case that houses a disc rotatably and a lid for opening/closing a disc insertion opening of the case. The lid is provided with a disc support member that elastically deforms in the plane parallel with the disc surface for supporting the disc. Once the lid is mounted in the case, the disc support member elastically deforms to permit rotation of the disc. Insertion and removal ,of the disc into and out of the case are done by an operator who grasps the lid.
The above-described conventional disc cartridge has the following problems. When the operator grasps the lid to pull it out of the case, he or she is likely to touch the disc possibly leaving a fingerprint and the like on the disc. If the disc is contaminated, the reliability of recording/reproduction is reduced.
The disc support member is kept elastically deformed as long as the lid is mounted in the case. Therefore, if the lid is kept mounted in the case for a prolonged period of time, stress relaxation of the disc support member may occur, resulting in a reduction of the disc holding capability of the disc support member. With a reduced disc holding capability, the disc may slip off when the lid is pulled out of the case. In order to avoid this problem, the disc support member must be made of a material having a low stress relaxation such as phosphor bronze, for example. This results in failure of integral molding of the disc support member with the lid body using, for example, a polymeric material, and thus increases the cost of the disc support member.
The present invention provides a disc cartridge that exhibits good operability when a disc holder is pulled out of or pushed into a case and reduces the possibility of a finger touching the disc.
The disc cartridge of the present invention includes a disc holder for supporting a disc-shaped recording medium, and a case for receiving the disc holder and the recording medium. The disc holder includes at least one finger-shaped flexible member that extends from a side face of the disc holder and bends in the plane substantially parallel with top and bottom portions of the disc holder. The case further includes an opening and a member for engaging with the flexible member to secure the disc holder; and means for preventing an easy touch of a human finger on the flexible member to protect the disc holder from being easily released. Once the disc holder is housed in the case, part of the disc holder blocks the opening of the case.